Tax businesses along SLEx instead – truckers

TRUCKERS want South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) operator South Luzon Tollway Corp (SLTC) to tax establishments along the expressway to help offset some of the planned increase in toll fees at the SLEx.

The Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) said taxes from business establishments will reduce the percentage of the impending 250% toll increase.

Shell, Petron, Caltex and Total all have stations along SLEx with different concessionaires, mostly food chains.

“We understand government has a commitment to foreign investors who refurbished the SLEx. But the way we see it, SLTC wants to recover its investment solely from toll fees,” CTAP president Ruperto Bayocot said.

“CTAP would like to appeal to the SLTC management to study the income they may generate from various business establishments along SLEX such as convenience stores, gasoline stations, and the like instead of depending solely on income from toll fees.”

The association is also asking government to implement the impending toll fee hike in increments instead of one time.

The implementation has been deferred following mass protest from the public.

Once implemented, the new toll fees for Class 1 or light vehicles will be P77 from P22; Class 2 vehicles, P155 from P43; and Class 3 or heavy vehicles, P232 from P65.